The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This week:
Animal Trial, Dennis Proctor, G.B. Marian, Redwood Ride, DAViS, Marc Hannaford, Jerry Arlen, and Will Kaye.

Animal Trial
Galactic Love
Genre: indie rock, pop rock
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: The band describes Galactic Love as "two out of this world love songs" on its Bandcamp page. The upbeat "Invasion Party!" is reminiscent of early Weezer, while "Exoplanets (Lullabye Version)" is a tender ballad.
Links: instagram.com/animaltrial

Dennis Proctor 
Deuce
Genre: indie, Americana, power pop
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: The Havilland frontman is having a prolific month. He recently released two singles, “Weights & Measures” and “You Can’t Take It With You.” Now, he’s back with a new album, Deuce, which features 12 catchy and melodic songs. Proctor summed up the album in a recent Instagram post: “The songs are bigger and sometimes weirder, but mostly just fun. It has keyboards and organ. Hand claps and harmonies. And plenty of songs about trying to process what it means to live in this current, messed up, BS country.”
Links: instagram.com/dproctor79

G.B. Marian
Circumpolar
Genre: electronic
Location: Ypsilanti
Notes: This prolific composer usually releases albums that act as soundtracks for imaginary films about Set, the Egyptian God of "night, storms, and otherness." Circumpolar is still dedicated to all things Set, but the 12 tracks act as standalone works, though they share a similar sonic style: dark, rumbling repetition. Recommended if you vibe with Tangerine Dream and their cosmic like.
Links: desertofset.com

Redwood Ride
Autumn Breeze
Genre: indie rock
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Michael Winter records under the moniker Redwood Ride. His new EP, Autumn Breeze, is a fitting soundtrack for pondering life and love on a cozy fall day. 
Links: redwoodride.bandcamp.com

DAViS
Denim Duster EP
"Reborn" 
Genre: soul, pop
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Davis Caruso sings about wanderlust, growth, and aspiration on his latest EP, Denim Duster. The tracks "showcase three different sides of Caruso's expression," he writes, and feature Sabbatical Bob's David Ward on drums. In 2025, Caruso also released the breezy single, "Reborn," which includes a collaboration with Peter Madcat Ruth on harmonica.
Links: daviscaruso.com/gallery

Marc Hannaford
the trees stood their ground
Location: ambient, improv
Notes: This U-M assistant professor of music spent time with the archives of jazz giants Yusef Lateef and Eric Dolphy, researching a scale the former introduced to the latter when they played in Charles Mingus' group. The scale helped Dolphy provide additional structure to the compositions that make up the 1964 classic Out to Lunch. (You can read Hannaford's research findings here.) The keyboardist and composer took what he learned and turned it into this new album, which consists of a single piece, "Meditation on a Synthetic Scale by Eric Dolphy and Yusef Lateef." You can freely stream a two-minute excerpt from this 46-minute piece, you'll need to purchase to hear the whole thing.
Links: marchannaford.com

Jerry Arlen
Luna I (Collector's Edition)
Genre: electronic, rock, prog
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Jerry Arlen is a U-M and Berklee College of Music alum, professor of music at Washtenaw Community College, and owner of Studio Arlen in Ann Arbor. He started working on friends’ projects and student films before producing full concept scores for films, radio productions, and albums. His new release, Luna I, is a concept album inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Arlen immersed himself in the study of physics and astronomy while working on the album. You can read more about it here.
Links: studioarlen.com 

Will Kaye
"Liberty Street"
Genre: folk
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: A sonic portrait capturing passing moments in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, painted with beautiful acoustic guitar and voice.
Links: willkaye.com

Send your music to pulp@aadl.org if you're an artist or label with Washtenaw County associations. Check out more local music coverage here and in the Friday Five archives.